Back to School: What Parents Need to Know About Lice

What are lice?

Head lice are insects that feed on the blood of humans and cling to the neck and scalp. Lice are tiny (about the size of a sesame seed) and aren't always easy to see. Lice eggs (known as nits) are even harder to spot and are found near the scalp.

Who gets lice?

Young children attending elementary school, day care or preschool are most susceptible. At this age, kids play together closely and tend to share hats, brushes and hair clips.

How do they spread?

Lice spread when there is head-to-head contact allowing them to crawl into one person's hair from another's. Lice can also survive for a short time on items such as a hairbrush, but cannot fly or jump from one person to another.

How to spot them?

Lice and nits are visible to the naked eye and can be brown, dark gray or white. They are usually found behind the ears or at the back of the neck. Nits are found on the hairs near the scalp and look like round specks. Parents are often told that combing through hair when it is wet is the best way to spot them.

What symptoms do they cause?

Most of the time, lice do not cause discomfort. The most common symptom is itching that may begin weeks or months after the infestation begins.

How are they treated?

If you think your child has lice, call your doctor so that they can confirm it. Also let your child's day care or school know so that they can check the other children. Other members of the household should also be checked.

Safe lice treatments can be found over the counter, and their instructions should be followed carefully. Sometimes a second treatment is needed a week to two weeks later.  If two treatments do not get rid of the lice, be sure to see your doctor for something stronger.

It is also a good idea to wash clothing that has been worn in the past 48 hours as well as bedding in hot water.

How to prevent lice?

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to prevent head lice. The best defense is to examine your child's scalp and hair on a regular basis to catch an infestation early. Prompt treatment will help prevent the bugs from spreading to others.

Photo credit: WebMD

5 Common Allergy Triggers

Allergies are an immune system response where the body’s defenses react to a substance in the environment. Countless things can trigger an allergic reaction, which can range from mild to life-threatening. Here are 5 of the most common triggers for allergies.

1. Pollen: Grass, tree and weed pollen can trigger allergies or hay fever. Pollen causes such symptoms as itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and congestion--which can be prevented by staying inside when pollen counts are high, running the air conditioning and keeping the windows closed.  Treatments for these allergies include prescription drugs, allergy shots and over-the-counter products.

2. Animal dander: Proteins in an animal's saliva and skin can cause allergic reactions. If you find that your pet is causing allergies, wash them regularly, avoid carpets if possible and keep them out of your bedroom. Allergy shots can also be helpful.

3. Dust mites: Dust mites live in house dust and feed on the dead skin cells of humans and pets. You can prevent dust mite allergies by keeping mattresses and pillows covered and washing sheets in hot water every week.

4. Molds: Molds produce allergens and sometimes even toxic substances. Touching or inhaling mold can cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to it. Mold needs moisture to grow, so be sure to keep moist areas in the home well ventilated.

5. Food: Foods that commonly cause allergens include nuts, wheat, shellfish and milk. A reaction usually occurs right after eating the allergy-causing food, and symptoms include vomiting, hives, breathing problems, swelling and diarrhea. The best way to avoid these symptoms is to of course avoid offending foods completely--but if exposed and the reaction is life-threatening, an epinephrine injection may be needed.

If you discover you have allergies that begin to interfere with your everyday life, see a medical professional.  In most cases, allergies can become very manageable with the proper treatment and care.

Bedbugs Are Back!

Yes, it's true.  Post World War II, bedbugs were for the most part eradicated with DDT--a pesticide that has since been banned because of its toxic effects on the environment. However, they seem to be in the news more and more lately, perhaps due to increased frequency in international travel, immigration and insecticide resistance.

Bedbugs are flat, oval and reddish-brown and tend to hide in mattresses, box springs, headboards and bed frames.  They can also be found in the seams of upholstered furniture, under peeling paint or wallpaper or near baseboards under carpeting.

Bedbugs are more commonly found in crowded places that have a high turnover of people, such as dorms, hotels, shelters and apartment complexes.

In terms of bedbug bites, they are sometimes hard to distinguish from other bug bites.  In general, they tend to be itchy and red, often with a darker spot in the middle, arranged in a line or cluster and located on the arms, hands, face and neck.  Bites from bedbugs do not usually require medical treatment, but if you experience an allergic reaction or develop an infection, you will want to visit your doctor.

If you suspect bedbugs, be sure to inspect your home at night, when they are active.  Some of the signs you can look for include empty exoskeletons (they shed their skin as they grow into adults), bloody smears on your sheets (where engorged bugs have been crushed accidentally) and dark specks along mattress seams (bedbug excrement).

You can treat your home yourself to a point, by washing sheets and other infested items in hot water, but professional treatment is usually recommended.

To prevent bedbugs, be sure to inspect any secondhand items you bring into your home (especially furniture), check your mattress when you sleep in a hotel and eliminate any bat or bird habitats neighboring your home that may serve as a refuge for bedbugs.

Photo credit: Mayo Clinic

Egg Recall: What You Need to Know

One of the largest shell egg recalls in recent history is currently underway.

Through the middle of July 2010, the CDC said that they had received approximately 2,000 reports of illness from Salmonella, which is the bacteria that is causing the outbreak. According to the acting director of the CDC division responsible for food-borne illness, Christopher R. Braden, MD, that number is three times more salmonella illness than is usually seen at this time of year. Braden also said he expects more illnesses will be reported.

Shell eggs are a common source of Salmonella, and of the 47 billion shell eggs eaten by Americans every year, the USDA estimates that 2.3 million are contaminated with this particular strain of salmonella.

The investigation by the FDA into the outbreak centers on five plants in Iowa operated by Wright County Egg. The company distributes the eggs all over the country, and the eggs involved in the August 18 recall include the following brands: James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Pacific Coast, Albertson, Farm Fresh, Boomsma's, Ralph's, Lund and Kemps (Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942.)

The eggs involved in the August 13 recall include the following brands: Dutch Farms, Lund, Boomsma's, Shoreland, Albertson, Kemps, Sunshine, Mountain Dairy, Hillandale, Lucerne, Ralph's, Farm Fresh and Trafficanda (Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946.)

The recall includes eggs in 6, 12, and 18-egg cartons.

So, how to avoid food poisoning from eggs?  The CDC advises that you discard dirty or cracked eggs, avoid eating raw eggs, keep eggs refrigerated at at least 45 degrees, wash all surfaces that come in contact with raw eggs, and avoid dishes at restaurants that are made with raw, undercooked or unpasteurized eggs.

If you think you might be ill from eating eggs, contact your health provider immediately.

What Causes Asthma?

Asthma is a disease involving inflammation of the air passages that makes breathing difficult. This results in symptoms including shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, coughing and wheezing. Asthma affects more than 22 million Americans and causes nearly 2 million emergency room visits ever year.

What causes it?  No one really knows the true cause, and the causes of asthma symptoms can vary from person to person.  Allergies in conjunction with asthma is very common, and the majority of people with asthma have allergies to airborne substances such as weed, grass and tree pollens, animal dander, dust mites and mold.

Although less common, food allergies can also cause asthma. Foods associated with allergic symptoms include wheat, fish, soy, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, fruit, salad, cow's milk and food preservatives.

Strenuous exercise can also be the main trigger for some people's asthma symptoms, as well as severe heartburn or GERD, smoking, sinusitis, respiratory infections such as cold, flu, bronchitis, and sinus infections, sensitivity to medications, weather, irritants and even stress.

People with asthma have airways that are always inflamed and sensitive, and therefore react to a variety of factors, or "triggers." Contact with these triggers is what causes asthma symptoms, where the airways become inflamed and tighten, and mucus blocks the airways. An asthma attack doesn't always begin immediately after being exposed to a trigger--it can occur days or even weeks later.

When possible, recognizing and avoiding what causes asthma is an important way to control it. However, that the best way to control it is with asthma drugs and asthma treatment.

Photo credit: Enviroblog.org